Anco Software

Anco Software started publishing titles (Atlantis, Flight Path 737, House of Usher and more) on the VIC 20, Commodore 64 and the Spectrum in 1982 when there was only a handful of software publishers.

In 1988, Anco released it's first soccer game titled Kick Off for the Atari ST and Amiga which rocketed straight to number one in the games charts. The following year (1989) Anco released Kick Off 2 for the Atari ST and the Amiga which achieved cult status amongst gamers and was hailed as the 'best soccer game ever!' In the same year Anco released their first ever soccer management game Player Manager onto the Atari and Amiga which proved to be an instant success amongst soccer enthusiasts. Again, Player Manager went straight to number one on both formats and formed a new and exciting genre that was very quickly adopted by other software publisher's. Kick Off's success reached new heights with the growth of Sega and Nintendo in Europe and the game known as Super Kick Off on the Nintendo, Gameboy and Super Nintendo received scores in the mid 90's across all specialist press.

Anco Software followed it's console success onto the PC with Kick Off 3 and that same year had a smash hit with Player Manager on the Super Nintendo which went straight to number one. But nothing could prepare Anco for what was to happen next. Player Manager 2 (For the Amiga and PC) sat at the top of the games charts, in the UK, for a record breaking 12 weeks!

In 1997, Anco signed a licensing deal with Maxis Software to release Kick off 97 world-wide. 'Kick Off 97' was released onto PC in March 97 and was hailed by specialist press as 'the best 3D soccer simulation on the PC' by the market leading PC games magazine in the UK, PC Gamer. Kick Off 97 was the only soccer game featured in Future Publishing's 'Top 100 Games Awards' for 1997. Anco also released 'Player Manager' onto the Sony PlayStation, which was in and out of the top 20 charts for over a year selling in excess of 55,000 units in the UK alone and over ¼ million units world-wide.

In 1999 Anco released Player Manager 99, endorsed by George Graham, recieving 8 out of 10 from Official Playstation Magazine and establishing itself as a prominent force in the football management arena on both the PSX and PC.

Player Manager 2000, released earlier this year, took management gaming to new heights by working with 7 Premiership managers. Bobby Robson, Gordon Strachan, Martin O'Niell, Jim Smith, Graham Taylor and Harry Redknapp all worked closely with Anco to create "The best and most accessible management game around." (Official Playstation Magazine).

On the 20th May 2003 Anco owner Anil Gupta passed away. Not being one of the biggest software houses in the world, Anco was forced to close.

Software Highlights from Credited Titles

Anco Software's first work that SPOnG is aware of is the 1987 title, "Tournament Snooker" (C64).

The company has been involved titles released on the PC, PS2, GBA, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, Game Boy, Sega Megadrive, SNES, Amiga, Amiga AGA, ST, C64, Spectrum 48K and Amstrad CPC. Of these, "Player Manager 2002" (PlayStation) and "Sven Goran Eriksson's World Challenge" (PlayStation) have been best selling titles.

The company's most recent involvement was on the 2003 release "Alex Ferguson's Player Manager 2003" (GBA).